


En Garde

by amatalefay



Series: The Historical Girlfriends of Bill Potts [2]
Category: 17th Century CE RPF, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Fencing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 19:30:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11766822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amatalefay/pseuds/amatalefay
Summary: Bill wasn't sure exactly how it happened, but here she was at Whitehall, fencing with Hortense Mancini while wearing only a nightie.





	En Garde

Bill wasn't sure exactly how it happened, but here she was at Whitehall, fencing with Hortense Mancini while wearing only a nightie.

“Is this your usual way of coming on to girls?” she asked while hurriedly dodging Hortense's first thrust. “It's just, I know you and Anne of Sussex got caught fencing in your underwear—which _really_ sounds like some kind of weird euphemism, but...”

Hortense threw her head back and laughed, exposing her white throat and collarbone to the moonlight. Bill swallowed hard. _Focus, you useless lesbian._ “I can assure you, _cherie_ , it is not a euphemism,” Hortense purred. “What can I say? I like to make pretty girls sweat.”

She lunged forward. Bill let out a little yelp of surprise. She stumbled to the side and threw her sword up just in time to block Hortense's next attack, and for a moment they were at an impasse, staring at each other over the cross of their two blades. Hortense's eyes were neither blue nor grey nor hazel but changed colour with each light and shadow that passed over her face. _Oh, God,_ Bill thought, swallowing again. _She could murder me and I would thank her for it._ She leaned in closer, pushing her weight onto the sword as Hortense bared down—

Both swords clattered to the ground. Hortense wrapped her hand around Bill's waist and pulled her close, and suddenly Bill Potts was at Whitehall kissing Hortense Mancini, and the nightie she was wearing was the least of her problems.

**Author's Note:**

> Hortense Mancini, divorce pioneer and famous paramour of King Charles II, was caught fencing with Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex and daughter of King Charles II, in St. James' Park in 1675, while wearing only their nightgowns. It was quite the scandalous spectacle and the pair were forcibly separated by Anne's husband, who hauled her off to the countryside. Reportedly, Anne spent the next few days languishing in bed, refusing to do anything except kiss a miniature portrait of her former lover. Hortense would go on to take many other lovers, male and female, before dying in 1699. Her eyes really did change color in the light.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments, and you can find me on Tumblr at [amatalefay](https://amatalefay.tumblr.com/).


End file.
